Crowd pricing system and method having tier-based ratings

Abstract

A crowd pricing system and method having tier-based ratings includes a pricing table hosted on a memory. The pricing table has a plurality of pricing tiers, wherein the pricing table is correlated to at least one downloadable media item. A download popularity value is calculated based on a quantity of downloads of the at least one downloadable media item within an evaluation period, wherein a position of the at least one downloadable media item is movable between the plurality of pricing tiers based on the download popularity value, wherein position movement of the at least one downloadable media item is regulated by at least one control factor. A ratings designation is paired with each of the plurality of pricing tiers, the ratings designation having a cumulative user ratings score calculated by the processor, wherein the cumulative user ratings score provides an indication of cumulative user rating of the at least one downloadable media item.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A data processing system for configuring downloadable media content in tier-based ratings for download over an electronic network connection, the system comprising:
 a plurality of downloadable media items stored within a database; 
 a plurality of user computing devices in communication with the database through the electronic network connection, wherein each of the plurality of user computing devices has a visual display screen with a user interface, and wherein the plurality of downloadable media items are accessible to the user computing devices over the electronic network connection; 
 a host server in communication with at least the database, the host server having:
 a non-transitory memory with a plurality of instructions executable by a processor; 
 a pricing table hosted on the non-transitory memory and displayable on display screens of each of the user computing devices, the pricing table having a plurality of pricing tiers, wherein the pricing table is correlated to at least one downloadable media item of the plurality of downloadable media items, wherein a purchase price of the at least one downloadable media item is displayed on the pricing table; 
 wherein a download popularity value is calculated by the processor based on a quantity of downloads of the at least one downloadable media item from the database of the hosting server within an evaluation period, wherein a position of the at least one downloadable media item is movable between the plurality of pricing tiers based on the download popularity value, wherein position movement of the at least one downloadable media item is regulated by at least one control factor; and 
 a ratings designation provided to the at least one downloadable media item for each of the plurality of pricing tiers the at least one downloadable media item has reached, the ratings designation having a user ratings score calculated by the processor at each of the plurality of pricing tiers and a cumulative user ratings score calculated by the processor, wherein the cumulative user ratings score is based on at least; 
 the pricing tier reached by the at least one downloadable media item; 
 the user ratings score of the at least one downloadable media item at each pricing tier; and 
 a current pricing tier of the at least one downloadable media item, wherein the cumulative user ratings score provides an indication of cumulative user rating of the at least one downloadable media item; 
 and wherein a graphical image of each of the plurality of pricing tiers and the corresponding ratings designation for each pricing tier are both simultaneously displayed on the visual display screens of each of the user computing devices. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The data processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one control factor further comprises an accelerated tier climbing factor, wherein the accelerated tier climbing factor increases position movement of the at least one downloadable media item within the evaluation period. 
     
     
       3. The data processing system of  claim 2 , wherein the accelerated tier climbing factor is based on at least one of:
 before an end of the evaluation period, a number of downloads of the at least one downloadable media item exceeding a definable metric of downloads at a next higher tier of the plurality of pricing tiers in a preceding evaluation period; and 
 before an end of the evaluation period, the number of downloads of the at least one downloadable media item exceeding the definable metric of downloads of an average of multiple prior evaluation periods. 
 
     
     
       4. The data processing system of  claim 3 , wherein the definable metric includes at least one of: a minimum number of downloads, a median number of downloads, a mean number of downloads, and a standard deviation from the median number of downloads. 
     
     
       5. The data processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one control factor further comprises a buffered tier decline factor, wherein the buffered tier decline factor controls a decreasing position movement of the at least one downloadable media item, wherein the decreasing position movement is limited to one pricing tier of the plurality of pricing tiers per the evaluation period. 
     
     
       6. The data processing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a points and sustained performance unit calculating a point value award to the at least one downloadable media item, wherein the point value award is calculated as a factor of a pricing tier level of the plurality of pricing tiers of the at least one downloadable media item. 
     
     
       7. The data processing system of  claim 6 , wherein the point value award is calculated as a factor of the pricing tier level of the at least one downloadable media item during the evaluation period and as a factor of the pricing tier level at a previous evaluation period. 
     
     
       8. The data processing system of  claim 6 , wherein the points and sustained performance unit further comprises a tier-points table, wherein the point value award is retrievable from the tier-points table. 
     
     
       9. The data processing system of  claim 1 , wherein the cumulative user ratings score is based on at least two attributes of the at least one downloadable media item. 
     
     
       10. The data processing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a current tier indicator of the at least one downloadable media item within the plurality of pricing tiers. 
     
     
       11. The data processing system of  claim 1 , wherein a perceived value of the at least one downloadable media item is achieved relative to at least one of the pricing tiers of the plurality of pricing tiers. 
     
     
       12. A method of distributing downloadable media items through a computerized network to a plurality of user computing devices using a pricing system having download demand, tier-based ratings, the method comprising the steps of:
 hosting a plurality of downloadable media items on a database of a centralized computerized device, each of the plurality of downloadable media items having a purchase price, wherein the purchase prices are stored in a pricing table on a non-transitory memory of the computerized device, wherein the pricing table has a plurality of pricing tiers, wherein the plurality of pricing tiers are displayable to a plurality of users each having a user computing device in communication with the centralized computerized device through an electronic network connection, wherein each of the plurality of user computing devices has a visual display screen with a user interface; 
 correlating the pricing table to each of the plurality of downloadable media items; 
 downloading, by the plurality of users each having the user computing device, at least one of the plurality of downloadable media items from the database to each of the user computing devices, respectively; 
 calculating, by a processor, a download popularity value based on a quantity of downloads of the at least one downloadable media item from the plurality of users within an evaluation period; 
 moving, by the processor, the purchase price of the at least one downloadable media item between the plurality of pricing tiers based on the calculated download popularity value; 
 regulating position movement of the at least one downloadable media item between the plurality of pricing tiers with at least one control factor; 
 incorporating at least one ratings designation to the at least one downloadable media item for each of the plurality of pricing tiers the at least one downloadable media item has reached, wherein each of the ratings designations having a user ratings score calculated by the processor at each of the plurality of pricing tiers and a cumulative user ratings score calculated by the processor, wherein the cumulative user ratings score is based on at least:
 the pricing tier reached by the at least one downloadable media item; 
 the user ratings score of the at least one downloadable media item at each pricing tier; and 
 a current pricing tier of the at least one downloadable media item, wherein the cumulative user ratings score provides an indication of cumulative user rating of the at least one downloadable media item; and 
 
 simultaneously visually displaying a graphical image of each of the plurality of pricing tiers and the corresponding ratings designation for each pricing tier on the visual display screens of each of the user computing devices. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one control factor further comprises an accelerated tier climbing factor, further comprising the step of increasing the position movement of the at least one downloadable media item within the evaluation period based on the accelerated tier climbing factor. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one control factor further comprises a buffered tier decline factor, further comprising the steps of:
 decreasing a position movement of the at least one downloadable media item based on the buffered tier decline factor; and 
 limiting the decreasing position movement to one pricing tier of the plurality of pricing tiers per the evaluation period. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of calculating a point value award to the at least one downloadable media item with a points and sustained performance unit, Wherein the point value award is calculated as a factor of a pricing tier level of the plurality of pricing tiers of the at least one downloadable media item. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the point value award is calculated as a factor of the pricing tier level of the at least one downloadable media item during the evaluation period and as a factor of the pricing tier level at a previous evaluation period. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the points and sustained performance unit further comprises a tier-points table, wherein the point value award is retrievable from the tier-points table. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of indicating a current tier position of the at least one downloadable media item within the plurality of pricing tiers using a current tier indicator. 
     
     
       19. A computerized system for providing downloadable media to a plurality of users with interactive-based pricing tiers based on download demand, the computerized system comprising:
 a database within a centralized server, the database storing a quantity of downloadable media items; 
 a plurality of user computing devices communication with the centralized server through an electronic network connection, wherein each of the plurality of user computing devices has a visual display screen with a user interface, and wherein the quantity of downloadable media items are accessible to the user computing devices over the electronic network connection; 
 a non-transitory memory within the centralized server and having a quantity of instructions executable by a processor; 
 a plurality of modules stored within the non-transitory memory, wherein the quantity of instructions are correlated with at least one of the plurality of modules, wherein the plurality of modules comprises:
 a pricing table module hosted on the non-transitory memory, the pricing table module visually displaying on a display screen of the user computing devices a pricing table having a plurality of pricing tiers, wherein the pricing table is correlated to at least one downloadable media file of the quantity of downloadable media, wherein a purchase price of the at least one downloadable media file is visually displayed within the pricing tiers next to at least one of: a textual identifying title of the at least one downloadable media file and a picture of the at least one downloadable media file; 
 a download popularity value module calculating a download popularity value based on a quantity of downloads of the at least one downloadable media file by the user computing devices within an evaluation period, wherein the at least one downloadable media file is movable between the plurality of pricing tiers based on the download popularity value, wherein position movement of the at least one downloadable media file is regulated by at least one control factor; and 
 a ratings designation module providing a ratings designation to the at least one downloadable media item for each of the plurality of pricing tiers the at least one downloadable media item has reached, each ratings designation having a user ratings score calculated by the processor at each of the plurality of pricing tiers and a cumulative user ratings score calculated by the processor, wherein the cumulative user ratings score is based on at least: 
 the pricing tier reached by the at least one downloadable media item; 
 the user ratings score of the at least one downloadable media item at each pricing tier; and 
 a current pricing tier of the at least one downloadable media item, wherein the cumulative user ratings score provides an indication of cumulative user rating of the at least one downloadable media file, and wherein a graphical image of each of the plurality of pricing tiers and the corresponding ratings designation for each pricing tier are both simultaneously displayed on the visual display screen of each of the user computing devices.